Don’t leave it to a judge to decide your family’s future

Family dispute specialists are on New Year alert, as couples across the country make it their new year resolution to end their relationships after a stressful holiday period.

“Christmas often proves the final straw for relationships that have been fragile for some time,” says Jane Robey, the CEO of the charity National Family Mediation.

“Family mediation offers an alternative way to make settlements over money, parenting and property – and can be much better than heading off to a lawyer for a stressful and expensive family court battle.

“Many couples who have decided for sure to separate need more information about their options. It’s important they consider all the possible ways they can make arrangements that are genuinely in the interests of everyone in the family, especially the kids.

“January usually sees a rise in divorce and separation, as relationships that have hung by a thread for some time finally snapped over Christmas.

“So the question is asked: What do we do next? And the answer doesn’t have to be heading off to a lawyer to prepare for battle which they hope ends in ‘victory’ over their ex.

“Family mediators are highly skilled negotiators with experience in helping families create long-term solutions that work well for their particular circumstances.

“Rather than leaving it to a judge to decide who will live where, what happens to the money, debts and pensions, and arrangements for the children, mediation empowers families themselves to decide these things. It’s their future after all.”

Legal Aid remains available for family mediation.

Anyone wanting to know more can do so at www.nfm.org.uk or call 0300 4000 636.